> > They used to but too many people in poorly-maintained cars driving 
too
> > fast caused the state to recind that decision IIRC.
> 
> There are also Federal highway dollars.  Back during various times in 
our
> history, while the states set their speed limits, the Feds would tell 
them
> that setting them too high would result in loss of funding.
> 
> IIRC, that is pretty much where the national standard of 55 MPH came 
from.

Many years ago in this very echo tbe discussion was about just that 
threat of withholding federal highway dollars from states that wouldn't 
kowtow to the federal bureaucracy.  I said at the time that if I were 
Nebraska's governor (I was living in Nebraska at the time) and the feds 
shut off the highway money, I wouldn't patrol, maintain or plow I-80 - 
which would effectively cut off east-west motor vehicle traffic north 
of Kansas City.  Were that the situation now, I-80 would be under about 
six feet of snow for a distance of about 300 miles
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